Bed board and back rest



y 1954 L. s. DOUGHERTY BED BOARD AND BACK REST Filed Nov. 24. 1961 United States Patent 3,140,897 BED BOARD AND BACK REST Louis S. Daugherty, Chambersburg, Pa., asslgnor, by mesne assignments, to Hennessy Lubricator Co., Inc., Chambersburg, Pl. a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 24, 1961, Ser. No. 154,767 3 Claims. (Cl. 297-378) The invention comprises a structure to be used by persons who, having a back ailment, require firm, even back support when sitting up or lying down.

The object of the invention is to afford a simple, inexpensive, effective device for the same general purpose whether utilized as an extensive bed board or a shorter chair seat and back rest on a bed, sofa, automobile seat or the like, and preferably is readily foldable and portable for transporting in an automobile or otherwise for use wherever desired.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a selected embodiment of the invention:

FIG. 1 illustrates the structure as used on a bed or sofa or the like with the seat and back disposed angularly and with individual cushions applied to the seat and back.

FIG. 2 is a partial front view of the structure as arranged in FIG. I and is taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows the seat and back rest reversed top to bottom from the position shown in FIG. I and in coplanar relation as when used as a bed board. Cushions are slhowt4shifted to opposite faces of the sections in FIGS.

FIG. 4 is an edge view and vertical section on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows the structure completely folded for storage or carrying.

The structure comprises a pair of flat, substantially rigid sections 1 and 2 each consisting of a plurality of slats 3, 4 and 5, 6 respectively disposed at right angles to each other and secured together by glue, nails, rivets or screws. The sections have adjacent edges interconnected by hinge structure. Preferably individual hinges are applied to the adjacent ends of slats 4 and 6. Each hinge includes as L-shaped strap having a long leg 9 attached to the slat and a relatively short leg 10 normal to the plane of leg 9 and terminating in one or more knuckles 11. The knuckles of associated straps are aligned and receive a hinge pin 12.

When the sections are in coplanar relation, legs 10 of associated straps are back-toback as best shown in FIG. 4 and prevent further pivotal movement of the sections in a hinge-opening direction. Legs 10 hold the adjacent portions of the sections in spaced relation when they are pivoted in the opposite direction as shown in FIG. 5.

Accordingly, the structure may readily assume any of l the positions shown in FIGS. 1, 4 or 5. Preferably the sections are provided with individual cushions 15, 16 each being substantially coextensive with the section to which it is applied and preferably flat from edge-to-edge. A flap sheet 17, 18 is coextensive with each cushion and is secured to the cushion along three edges forming a pocket having an open end which receives the end of the section I, 2 which is spaced from the hinge structure. The cushions are readily applicable to either side of sections 1, 2 and hence are reversible for application to the upper forward face of the seat as shown in FIG. 1 or to the upper face of the bed board as shown in FIG. 4.

It will be apparent that the structure is well adapted for the objectives stated in the introductory portion of the specification, and the details of the structure may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of those modifications coming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

3,140,897 Patented July 14, 1964 What is claimed is:

I. In a bed board and seat back rest structure, a pair of fiat substantially stiff frame sections arranged edge to edge with adjacent edges provided with L-shaped hinge connections accommodating unfolding movement of the sections to a horizontal coplanar alignment, each of said hinge connections including a long leg applied to one face of the section and a short leg with knuckle-forming elementsprojecting normally from the other face of the coplanar sections and pinned together and engageable with each other adjacent the pins to limit unfolding movement of the sections to the coplanar alignment, the sec tions being foldable about the hinge connections and positionable eoextensively one above the other with said knuckle-forming elements holding the sections spaced apart at the hinge connections, individual cushions assembled with the sections and lying in a coplanar relation with each other, when the sections are unfolded, and lying coextensively one above the other between said sections, when the sections are folded, each of the cushions having a flap across one face of the cushion forming therewith a pocket corresponding in width to a section and receiving an entire section and being open at one end to facilitate ready application and removal of the cushion to and from a section.

2. A combination bed board and seat-back rest device comprising a pair of rigid shallow flat sections with two edges adjacent, hinges connecting said edges to each other for positioning the sections in extended coplanar relation or in folded relation one above the other, each of said hinges consisting of two L-shaped leaves each having one leg extending along and secured to a face of one of said sections, and a shorter leg extending normal to the elongated leg and projecting substantially beyond the other face of said section and terminating at its projecting end in a knuckle elongated transversely of the leaves, the knuckles of the two leaves being aligned and there being a pintle therethrough, the shorter leaves of the hinges .abutting when the sections are coplanar and limiting the unfolding of the sections beyond the coplanar relation and forming spaces holding the sections apart when in folded relation, individual cushions associated with said sections, each cushion corresponding in area to the associated section and corresponding in thickness to the length of the short legs of the hinges, means for readily attaching and detaching each cushion to a section at either side of the section comprising a flap of thin fabric secured at opposite margins to opposite margins of the cushion, and forming therewith a section-receiving pocket, the section being insertible between the flap and the cushion irrespective of the side of the section to which the cushion is applied, the device being foldable double with the cushions received between the spaced sections when the cushions are mounted on the inner faces of the sections and the cushions being firmly supported in coplanar relation when the cushions are mounted on the outer faces of the sections.

3. A combination bed board and seat-back rest device according to claim 2 in which each section comprises a thin layer of parallel elongated sheet metal slats spaced apart cdgewise and a second thin layer of parallel elongated metal slats spaced apart and extending transversely of and overlying those of the first layer and secured thereto and forming a thin rigid member, the leaves of the hinges being also of thin sheet metal, the total thickness of the device when said sections are in folded relation with the cushions between the sections being approximately twice the thickness of one of the cushions and the flaps extending substantially throughout the area of the sections and forming a fabric cover for substantially the entire exterior of the inserted sections, whereby the folded device comprises a wide relatively thin and readily portable package with smooth fabric exterior covering.

References Cited in the fiie of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 209,676 Haire Nov. 5, 1878 1,104,018 Thiss July 21, 1914 1,104,398 Zimmerman July 21, 1914 

1. IN A BED BOARD AND SEAT BACK REST STRUCTURE, A PAIR OF FLAT SUBSTANTIALLY STIFF FRAME SECTIONS ARRANGED EDGE TO EDGE WITH ADJACENT EDGES PROVIDED WITH L-SHAPED HINGE CONNECTIONS ACCOMMODATING UNFOLDING MOVEMENT OF THE SECTIONS TO A HORIZONTAL COPLANAR ALIGNMENT, EACH OF SAID HINGE CONNECTIONS INCLUDING A LONG LEG APPLIED TO ONE FACE OF THE SECTION AND A SHORT LEG WITH KNUCKLE-FORMING ELEMENTS PROJECTING NORMALLY FROM THE OTHER FACE OF THE COPLANAR SECTIONS AND PINNED TOGETHER AND ENGAGEABLE WITH EACH OTHER ADJACENT THE PINS TO LIMIT UNFOLDING MOVEMENT OF THE SECTIONS TO THE COPLANAR ALIGNMENT, THE SECTIONS BEING FOLDABLE ABOUT THE HINGE CONNECTIONS AND POSITIONABLE COEXTENSIVELY ONE ABOVE THE OTHER WITH SAID KNUCKLE-FORMING ELEMENTS HOLDING THE SECTIONS SPACED APART AT THE HINGE CONNECTIONS, INDIVIDUAL CUSHIONS ASSEM- 